CDS Teacher Awarded Scholarship to Study and Swim with Sharks
CDS Senior School Biology teacher Ms. Griffin received the exciting news last month that she has been selected to travel to the Caribbean to take part in a weeklong Shark Biology & Conservation Course at the Bimini Shark Research Lab this summer.
She first heard about the program from a professional colleague in a Facebook biology group and was instantly intrigued. This is only the third year the program has been offered to teachers, and the Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation appears to target educators from landlocked provinces and states. Ms. Griffin tossed her hat into the ring and forgot about it—until she received an email announcing she was one of 28 teachers selected from across North America.
“The Bimini Shark Research Lab will cover all expenses except for the flight to Fort Lauderdale as they want to entice more teachers (and their students) to learn about the challenges facing marine ecosystems,” said Ms. Griffin. Her days will consist of morning lectures in the classroom followed by afternoon field activities. University professors will teach about the importance of sharks and rays and the conservation efforts underway in the region. In the afternoons, participants will head into the field to encounter and assist with tagging sharks—lemon, reef, blacktip, and nurse sharks—as well as stingrays in the estuaries and mangroves. An adventurer at heart, Ms. Griffin cannot wait for July to arrive. While she has seen sharks while snorkeling in the past, she is excited to get up close and learn as much as she can. Though her husband and kids think she’s crazy for wanting to swim with sharks, she looks forward to documenting this invaluable experience so she can continue to “instill passion and a sense of adventure” in her students as they explore issues of climate change through the lens of marine biology for years to come. |
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
